


Flower Power

by SilverServerError



Series: The Guardians of Fate [1]
Category: CLAMP - Works, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: (Or is it????), Day 6: Magical Kurogane, KuroFai, M/M, This should probably only be rated Teen, brief mention of death, brief mention of sex, i'm not sure, just trust me, kuroganeweek, this is fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 15:44:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7763659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverServerError/pseuds/SilverServerError
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Superhero!Kurogane vs. The Magical Girl Aesthetic</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flower Power

Kurogane pushed hard off the roof as he jumped, clearing the alley and rolling over a shoulder as he landed on the next. His cape curled along his back, keeping him safe from the rough tar and asphalt. By the time he was up again, his partner was already at his back and they circled slowly, watching the rooftops against the dying light.

 

“See anything, Phoenix?”

 

“Not an antenna out of place.” The Frozen Phoenix answered in his by-now trademark lilt. It made it seem like he was always on the verge of laughter.

 

“Damn.” The call was already a few minutes stale, meaning whatever had triggered the alarm was either long gone, or still held the element of surprise as it waited to attack.

 

“Stay on your toes.” He said as he stepped away from their defensive position to check the perimeter of the roof. For a heartbeat he glanced back and the blonde did the same. As much his partner liked to make light of the danger they so often found themselves in, it was moments like these- these fleeting connections where he was for once giving their work the gravitas it deserved- that made him feel safe as long as they were together.

 

With a hint of a smile beneath his beak-like half mask, The Frozen Phoenix turned away and Kurogane’s gaze slid down the formfitting suit with a little more appreciation than was probably prudent during a work call and facing an as-of-yet unidentified threat.

 

“I always do.” The Phoenix answered.

 

Kurogane turned back to his work, trying to reason out which twin he was working with tonight. It was hard to tell at the best of times, but they’d been purposefully messing with him lately.

 

He pulled out a flashlight from his utility belt, pointing it down suspect fire escapes. They all turned up empty.

 

There were two of them. That alone had taken months to work out. They still refused to give him their real identities or even nicknames to tell them apart, which he supposed he could understand. As far as he knew, he was the only one who had figured it out so far, and it was a secret they used to their professional advantage and as such guarded fiercely. He wished he had a better way to differentiate them, but things being as they were, there was: The one he had the on-again off-again superfriends-with-benefits thing going on with. And then the other one. He was never _really_ sure who he was with unless there was a sudden hand down his pants.

 

On the other side of the roof, The Frozen Phoenix turned, bow held ready but pointed safely at the ground.

 

Maybe it was the other one tonight. He always seemed a little less high strung.

 

“We’ve got Swallowtail incoming.” The Phoenix warned.

 

Kurogane nodded and fought back the reflex to attack as a shadow leapt down, landing heavily just at the edge of the roof. She stood smoothly, black high heels reaching up to her mid thigh. They looked tight but Kurogane knew from experience there were a surprising amount of deadly things stored along those seams. Other than that, she wore a close fitting black garment that left her thighs and arms bare with a zip up the front that she never quite bothered closing all the way. Over this she wore a wide silk belt that tied at the back, the butterfly wing patterned ends of it flowing around her legs in the breeze. The whole effect made her seem a little defenseless, but the force field generators built into her long gloves made her anything but. The final piece was the goggles that covered most of her face, some sort of augmented display presumably inside.

 

“Status?” She asked in a clipped tone.

 

“Perimeter secure.” He answered.

 

She nodded, stepping down to the main level of the roof. “A false alarm?”

 

“Or an old one. We don’t see anything.” He glanced back at The Phoenix, who was, as he spoke, staring at a spot on the rooftop over. “Or do we?” Kurogane followed the direction he was looking, scrutinizing what he thought must be a roof top garden. And there was – something. Movement certainly. His hand fell to the hilt of his plasma sword, bracing to react should he need to turn it on.

 

Then floodlights sprang to life, illuminating the area.

 

It _was_ a garden. Potted plants and trees. But that wasn’t as important as the short figure in the wide smile and the extravagant dress and-

 

Oh no.

 

In the very thin mask that was more cosmetic accent than anything else.

 

“Sakura!? What the _Hell_ are you doing here?”

 

Her face fell. She stopped posing.

 

“But how did you know it was me?”

 

“Get over here! It’s dangerous.”

 

She glanced nervously into the void between her building and the one they all stood on. “You mean like… jump?”

 

“No!” He yelled, a chill running down his spine. “Stay there. I’ll come to you. But be careful! We’ve got an alert in this area.”

 

“Steel…” The Phoenix put a careful hand to his shoulder, like he was a panicking animal that might bite back or something.

 

Kruogane looked first from him then to Mistress Swallowtail. They were both keeping something from him.

 

“What?” He snapped.

 

“I think she _was_ the alert.” Swallowtail glanced up at the other roof. “Is that right, Sweetheart?” She called a little louder.

 

On the roof Sakura crumpled a little. “Yeah, I mean… I wanted to surprise you, Dad.”

 

Kurogane sighed as both of his team looked at him sharply. It was more than he wanted either of them to know.

 

He flinched as a grappling hook caught the brickwork at the edge of the roof. The Masked Enigma pulled himself over the edge just as The Phoenix fired an arrow in his direction. He dodged it- barely- but gaped at him furiously. Kurogane only barely had time to catch the blonde’s eye and share a wince at the mistake before the tirade started.

 

“What _the fuck_ was that!?” Their newest member shrieked. “Are you going darkside on us, or are you just shooting at me for fun? Because I’m pretty sure I wear the same fucking tracker the rest of you do and you should know when to not-“

 

“Hey! Boy Wonder.” Swallowtail barked.

 

He seethed at the address, but bit his tongue. “Yes, Mistress?”

 

“Do you realize how late you are?” She gave Kurogane a signaling wave of the hand, and he nodded gratefully, understanding the tactic right away.

 

To a certain extent, he trusted Swallowtail and Phoenix, but their new kid was untested, and he had no business getting the full explanation of what they’d just seen. She was keeping him distracted so he and Phoenix could split off and deal with the situation.

 

“I was in the middle of something! I can’t just always jump out the window the instant you call.” He continued ranting.

 

“And what exactly was so important?” She asked, not sounding very impressed.

 

“Well, if you _must_ know, I-“ He cut himself off. “It’s none of your business actually!”

 

The moment he was well and truly ranting, the blonde caught his eye and they slipped away unnoticed.

  

* * *

 

 

“My name is Kurogane.”

 

The Phoenix stared at him, eyes wide in shock behind the mask. “What are you-?”

 

“You know I have a daughter named Sakura and you know what she looks like. I just thought I’d save you the trouble of having to do the search.”

 

He frowned in the quiet of the hallway, unsure what else to say. He was supposed to be calming down before he went in to talk to her.

 

It could have been worse. She was supposed to have been staying with her school friend Tomoyo tonight. At first he’d assumed that had been a lie too, or that they’d snuck out together, but it turned out Tomoyo actually lived in the penthouse apartment of the roof she’d chosen. Sakura had conveniently forgotten to mention that Tomoyo’s mother wasn’t going to be home, about which he wasn’t entirely happy, but he was grateful for it now under the circumstances. Technically she hadn’t even broken a rule.

 

Still, pulling a stunt like this could have been very dangerous for her.

 

And her good intentions didn’t un-out him to his teammates.

 

Kurogane’s hands went back to the clasp of his mask and he brought it down. The Phoenix almost looked panicked as he saw Kurogane’s entire face for the first time.

 

“Why are you telling me this?” He asked in a tight voice.

 

Kurogane frowned, running a hand over his forehead, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. “I mean, if our situations were reversed, wouldn’t I find out who you were? Maybe not the first day or the second, but eventually that temptation would get to anyone.”

 

The blonde’s slender shoulders slouched in a little as he watched Kurogane carefully. “Even if I asked you not to?” He asked lowly. Then he smiled, inappropriate as always. “I thought we were starting to trust each other.”

 

Kurogane looked over at him, trying his best not to sound judgemental. “I don’t even know who you are today.” He raised a brow, waiting for that token of trust to be offered.

 

The blonde’s mouth fell open slightly, blue eyes looking to him searchingly, then he caught his bottom lip in his teeth, obviously debating some internal conflict. For a moment it looked like he might say something, and the excitement of it felt like a bird trying to fly out of Kurogane’s throat.

 

But then he looked away and Kurogane clamped down on his own emotions as well.

 

This wasn’t-

 

One thing at a time.

 

He needed to talk to Sakura.

 

Beside him there was a laugh. He looked over with trepidation.

 

“So big mister scary Black Steel has been a dad this whole time.” The Phoenix’s smile was gentle as his stared at the opposite wall. “Doesn’t that just figure?”

 

“Adopted. Her parents were friends of the family but they- It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

 

“Anything to do with…?” With the mask. With the job.

 

Kurogane shook his head.

 

The blonde gave it the space that was due, but came back to the salient point. “Well, she seems like a lovely girl.”

 

He smiled. “She is.”

  

* * *

 

 

“I’m not _mad_.” Kurogane reassured, though his posture was still on edge, even as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m just concerned.”

 

On her other side, The Phoenix was sitting, a second source of reassurance and comfort. They’d never meet before, but she’d heard so many stories, she felt like she already knew him.

 

“I just thought, you said I was ready and so Tomoyo made my disguise and-“

 

“Kurogane said what, dear?” His voice was sweet and gentle but over her head he was glaring daggers.

 

“I said her shooting was ready.” He corrected, eyeing him right back. “Her aim was perfect the last few times we were at the range but, Sakura, that didn’t mean I thought you were ready to start working! You’ve got so much left to learn and you are just really still too young.”

 

The blonde’s glare was only slightly abating, but he pressed on regardless.

 

“And you know the first rule is anonymity. You need a disguise not just a costume.”

 

She looked up at him, like she might start crying again. “But… I thought… Tomoyo worked so hard on it.”

 

“And it’s beautiful!” The blonde rushed in to say, sensing Kurogane at a sudden loss as the conversation turned to clothing and the inexplicable emotional attachment his daughter had to it. “Really, your friend did such a wonderful job.”

 

“You think so?” She sniffed, looking first to The Phoenix, then her father. Over her head, the former nodded encouragingly at the latter.

 

“Uh… yeah.” Kurogane tried to sound enthused. “But if we’re talking about it anyway, using a cherry blossom motif when your name is actually Sakura is… I mean you see what I’m saying right?”

 

“Tomoyo thought it was cute.”

 

“And it is cute! I just… It’s kinda obvious to bad guys, don’t you think?”

 

“Oh.” She ran her hands over the pale pink material of her skirt morosely. “I guess you’re right.”

 

“And your mask doesn’t really function as a mask unless it actually hides parts of your face. And don’t you think you’d have trouble moving around in a skirt that puffy. I mean, good job on the whole magical girl aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong, but maybe when we get home we could start drafting you a _real_ super suit.” He gave her a sideways hug and she smiled, tucking her head against him. “You’d like that, right?”

 

* * *

 

 

It was bizarre seeing The Phoenix in his kitchen, doubly so to watch him sip at a cup of coffee while balanced on one of the stools in his kitchen. His utility belt and bow were left by the door, but his mask was still on, sitting across the arch of his nose and forehead.

 

There were maybe better ways to have gotten Sakura home, but with himself and his partner there to guard, she’d been more than safe in transit. Now she was in her room, presumably falling asleep.

 

“You’re not bad with kids.” Kuorgane said, pouring himself whisky instead of caffeine. He held it out in offering but his partner waved it away. “Have any of your own?”

 

It was played as polite conversation but The Phoenix just stared at him pointedly, not giving anything away.

 

Instead he took another sip of coffee.

 

“What’s a ‘magical girl aesthetic’?”

 

“You watch any anime?”

 

“No.”

 

Kurogane took a sip from his glass and let it burn down his throat. “Then that is going to be a really difficult question to answer.” Instead he typed into his phone and showed him a screen of google image results.

 

“Cute.” The Phoenix said pleasantly. “Impractical… but cute.”

 

“We watch some cartoons like that together. It’s… I mean, she likes it. There’s usually a good message to it. Why not?”

 

Kurogane slid the phone back into his pocket.

 

“You’re not really going to let her fight, are you?”

 

He scoffed. “Of course not. She’s a little girl. I mean, she’s gotta finish high school at least, don’t you think?”

 

That didn’t seem to be the answer he was expecting.

 

“College?”

 

The Phoenix was frowning at him. “You can’t let her fight at all!”

 

Kurogane’s brow shot up as his partner surprised him with the intensity of his disapproval. “Why not? She’s tough.”

 

“But it’s dangerous!”

 

“Everything is dangerous.” He said, watching his partner carefully. “But what we do is important.”

 

“She might get hurt.”

 

“If it’s what she wants to do, then I’ll be proud of her for it.” His gaze softened. “It’s not like _we_ don’t ever get hurt.”

 

The Phoenix looked at him like he was an idiot. “Yeah, but that’s different. We’re just fighters. We’re expendable.”

 

For a moment Kurogane couldn’t say anything at all. Then, “We’re not- I have a little girl to be looking after. I am _not_ expendable.” He shook his head, disbelieving. “And neither are you.”

 

The blonde said nothing to that, just eyed the edge of the counter.

 

“Take it back.” Kurogane demanded quietly. The blonde looked up at him in confusion. “You watch my back and I trust you with my life.” Kurogane hissed fiercely. “Take it back right now.”

 

“Ok!” He relented, looking sheepish. “We’re not expendable.”

 

But that wasn’t good enough. Kurogane caught his chin and instantly there was a hand there to break the hold, but the blonde stopped himself before he snapped any bones. This wasn’t a fight. He wasn’t in danger.

 

“Again.” Kurogane said lowly from inches away. “Like you actually mean it.”

 

The hand that had wrapped around Kurogane’s wrist eased away.

 

Blue eyes behind a golden mask blinked up at him. “I’ll protect you.” He whispered. “You- We matter.”

 

Kurogane hadn’t meant anything in this way, but now his heart was pounding and those eyes were looking up at him and was he crazy or was the blonde leaning in?

 

He leaned down, eager to press his lips the The Phoenix’s own. To feel his waist in his hands. That pulse under his finger tips.

 

At the last moment the blonde turned slightly away and they both froze.

 

After a breath that felt like an eternity, Kurogane spoke lowly, so close to his ear.

“Are you the other one? Or are you just still angry with me?”

 

The blonde hardly reacted beyond his gaze sliding back towards Kurogane. “Maybe both.” He whispered. “Maybe neither.” He swallowed, but didn’t move out of Kurogane’s personal space. “‘The Other One’ is a terrible thing to call someone.”

 

Kurogane didn’t meet his eye. Instead he studied the way a blonde lock of hair curled around an ear. How his pulse fluttered in his neck. How his shoulder rose and fell with his breathing. “Then give me something else to use.”

 

In a moment, The Phoenix was gone, slid off the side of the stool and standing by the door. He clicked his belt back on, eyeing Kurogane. “Have a good night.” He said, collecting his bow.

 

Kurogane smiled wryly. What else could he do? “Are you going to be safe getting home? I could go with you.”

 

He just shook his head, cracking a grin and gesturing to the bow as if it was the first time Kurogane had seen it. “I think I’ll be fine.”

 

“Good night.”

 

The Phoenix hovered at the door for only a moment.

 

“Good night. I’ll see you… when I see you, I guess.”

 

With a smile he was gone.


End file.
